The Bet (The Bet #1)(66)

“Yeah, I know. We’ll just have to sneak into the car and…”

“No,” Jake said, squeezing her shoulder. “With Travis. God, it sucks being passed over for my older nerdier brother, but apparently that’s what’s happening.”

Kacey wasn’t confident enough to think that she and Travis were going to make it through this rough spot, even if she did get to talk to him. She still couldn’t read his mind.

Did he miss her?

Was he just as upset as she was?

Should she have stayed?

“Get the hell off of my woman!” a male voice yelled.

“Wasn’t he kicked out?” a woman shrieked.

Kacey looked up to see Travis charging them both, his hands in fists and a woman pointing at him as if he was some sort of criminal. Her eyes were wide with fear.

To be fair, Travis did look a little menacing.

“What are you talking about?” Jake pushed up to his feet. “She’s not your woman. If she was your woman, why the hell would she be sitting here with me?”

Bad move, Jake. Bad move.

“You lying bastard!” Travis lunged for Jake.

Both men fell to the hard ground with a grunt. Travis was on top, and Jake, unfortunately for him, was on the bottom.

And soon cameras were flashing all over again.

Kacey yelled, “Get off of him! There’s nothing going on!”

“You left her!” Travis punched Jake across the jaw.

A loud thunderous yell emerged from Jake as he wrapped his hands around Travis’s throat. “So did you, you bastard! At least I apologized.”

Travis’s fist came crushing into Jake’s jaw. Jake hooked his foot inside Travis’s leg, like some sort of MMA move, and then Jake was on top. His fist pulled back to hit Travis, who had suddenly stopped fighting. And then security was pulling them apart.

Travis’s eyebrow was cut and Jake was spitting blood.

And the cameras caught it all.

Every bloody thing.

“Come with us,” a security guard ordered, grabbing both men.

“Wait! Wait, they, um…” Should she claim them, both of them? Reluctantly she realized she had to. “They — they’re with me.”

“That true?” A security guard asked Jake.

He nodded.

And the next thing she knew, Kacey was getting arrested along with them.

Of course.

Paparazzi followed them, asking questions. “Jake, is this your new girlfriend? Isn’t that your brother? What’s going to happen to Titus Enterprises? Is this a reflection of how the company is being run since your father’s retirement?”

Kacey felt sick to her stomach.

They were led into a cold, dark room that she could only assume was used to torture would-be terrorists.

The minute the door closed, she glared at both of them.

Both brothers.

Two men she had known her entire life.

One a friend, the other something so much more.

Her heart ached in her chest. She looked away and huddled in the corner. She couldn’t say what she wanted to say, not now.

“I came after you,” Travis mumbled in a low voice.

“Shut up,” Jake said and groaned.

“Imagine my surprise when I see you in Jake’s arms on the receiving end of his kisses. Seriously, Kace? Hours after we have sex? Really? I thought…” His voice trailed off. “…I thought we were more.”

Furious, Kacey jumped to her feet and charged toward Travis. Jake scooted as far away from his brother as possible. Kacey slapped him hard across the face.

“That is less than what you deserve.”

Jake chuckled in his corner. “Ouch.”

Kacey turned to him. He squirmed in his seat, breaking eye contact. “As for you!” She pointed at him. “We are on very shaky ground, my friend, very shaky ground.”

“She called me friend,” Jake boasted aloud.

Travis cursed and held his head in his hands. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice cracking. “I’m so damn sorry.”

Kacey closed her eyes to fight the tears. “You should be.”

“I’d like to say something.” Jake cleared his throat.

Travis turned a murderous glare in his direction. “I’d rather you not.”

“Regardless,” Jake said, pushing up from his seat and pacing the room. “I think it must be said that both of you are being stupid.”

This? From Jake? Kacey scowled. “And what? You’re suddenly the voice of reason?”

“Voice of reason.” Jake shoved his hands into his pocket. “I kind of like the ring of that.”

“I’ll bet,” Travis mumbled.

“Speaking of bets…” Jake walked over to Travis and lightly kicked his foot. “I think you won this one.”

“Bet?” Kacey repeated. “What bet?”

“I was eight.” Travis seethed.

“You were in love.”

“You made a blood oath!”

Jake laughed. “Again with the blood oaths. Let’s get one thing straight. An oath taken by spitting is not even close to being a blood oath.”

Travis swore and glanced at Kacey. “I had to see you. The way you left…”